My legs tremble. My pulse is trying out a new kind of dance, tip-tapping beneath my flushed skin. I catch myself, the way my face is moving as I try to control my breath.
Everything feels rosy. It’s full daylight but I could swear that there are twinkle lights somewhere just out of sight. I can smell the salt. Sweat rolls down my face, my back, one two three as my muscles settle, relax.
The sound tunes back in, the chaos of so very many people milling around, the announcer on the loudspeakers. “… from Fort Collins, Colorado! Great job! And looking strong, here comes …”…